Harper's 'clown question' retort takes off

Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper quip, "That's a clown question, bro" to a Toronto TV reporter who asked if he planned to take advantage of Canada's lower drinking age after belting a long home run against the Blue Jays, quickly became popular on Twitter.Associated Press

The 19-year-old Washington Nationals outfielder quipped "That's a clown question, bro" to a Toronto TV reporter who asked if he planned to take advantage of Canada's lower drinking age after belting a long home run in a win over the Blue Jays.

For a brief time, the highest trending topic on Twitter was Harper's response: "That's a clown question, bro." The outfielder's name was also among the site's most popular subjects.

Twitter users have been reformulating the phrase to fit different contexts, too.

In Ontario, the drinking age is 19, not 21 as in the United States. Following the game, a reporter asked Harper whether he planned to celebrate his huge homer with a beer, and what his preferred brand would be.

Harper is a Mormon, a religion that forbids alcohol. A Nationals PR staffer suggested the reporter try a different line of questioning, but Harper was ready.

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